As I mentioned before, Cinematical had a chance to visit the set of Dito Montiel's (A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints) new film, Fighting, last night, which was shooting on seventh avenue and 54th street here in New York City. We'll have a full set report for you in the coming weeks, but why not share with you a few nuggets of information now. I was on the set for about four hours before we finally got to speak to director Dito Montiel. After it began pouring out, they called lunch, and myself -- along with one other writer and Montiel -- ran across the street, ducked into a diner and sat down for some conversation over soup and a beer. We talked for a good half hour about Fighting, among all sorts of other things, but toward the end of our chat Montiel revealed that he will indeed adapt and direct his latest book, Eddie Krumble Is the Clapper, for the big screen.

For starters, Montiel will be leaving New York for the first time, and making this film elsewhere. Here's what he had to say about the film: "Yeah, I'm setting up to make that movie -- it's a whole different trip -- and it's in Los Angeles, so I get to sneak out there for a minute. It's called Eddie Krumble Is the Clapper, and it's about a guy who's a clapper for shows. They hire people to clap and laugh at bad jokes. It's a little different world; they get $35 a show." I asked Montiel if this was based on someone he knew, and he replied, "Yeah, my friend Eddie. Not Eddie Krumble -- I named him Eddie Krumble -- but my friend Eddie; he's from Long Island City and he moved out to Los Angeles. He gets thirty-five dollars a day, he does like three shows a day, and he sits in on whatever shows people don't go to. It's like extras, except it's a little bit below extras."

And does he have anyone in mind yet to play this clapper? How about Channing Tatum (who's working with Montiel for the second time on Fighting, after also starring in Saints)? When I brought up Tatum's name, Montiel laughed and said: "Hey, you never know. Channing would make a badass clapper -- he'd be the toughest clapper ever!"

People tell me I'm nuts, but I absolutely adore long plane rides. Mainly because, over the years, the wife and I have assembled quite an electronics arsenal. I have the personal DVD player, the PSP, the iPod -- not to mention (in the non-electronics department) books, pillows, blankets and -- most importantly -- a big bag of Twizzlers. It doesn't get much better than that. Prior to traveling, I also map out which seat I want (and then bother whomever to make sure I get it), and do plenty of research on which films will be playing on the flight. The other great thing about long plane rides is that no one (except a flight attendant with crummy food) is allowed to bother me. No emails. No phone calls. No taking the dog for a walk. Nothing. Just me, my electronics, my pillow and my movies. This is my heaven.

I mention this because, on Saturday, I leave New York City for a two-week trip to Australia. My cousin is getting married. And I'm so there. Today I started to assemble my movie playlist, which include the actual DVDs I plan to bring, as well as what I plan to watch (all edited and whatnot) on the plane. Since I like to be diverse, here's what I have so far: A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Wristcutters (a LEGAL copy, mind you -- I'm no pirate), Tale of an Osaka Love Thief (a doc I've heard wonderful things about), The Boys of Summer (another festival-ish doc), Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series, Weeds: Season 1 (for the wife) and Battlestar Galactica: Seasons 1 and 2.0. (Damn you Heroes for not being out on DVD yet!) I'm also planning to watch Fracture and Zodiac on the plane, although I'm not crazy about them being all chopped up. I'd like to add a tad more comedy and a really great thriller to the lot, so feel free to offer up suggestions. Are you as ridiculous as I am with regards to your in-flight movie planning? How does your inner movie geek go about prepping for a long trip at 35,000 feet? Do tell ...

Regardless of how you want to classify the next few months (Fall? Autumn? That time when the kids finally go back to school?), this year's Best Picture (candidates/winners) will most likely debut in theaters between now and Christmas. For those of you looking for some sort of intelligence boost after a summer full of dumb, dumber and dumbest, fear not -- Hollywood is sending a slew of wonderful-looking flicks our way.

In order to celebrate this joyous time of year, we here at Cinematical have decided to share with you the films we're most looking forward to. What films do our writers want to see make a big splash in theaters this fall? Stay tuned all this week to find out. In the meantime, how about I kick things off with ...

The Departed -- Director Martin Scorsese teams up once again with Leonardo DiCaprio (his newest muse) in this remake of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. Add to that a cast that includes Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin and, well, I'm totally sold. Pic tells of the battle between Massachusetts police and an Irish-American gang. When each plants a mole on the other's turf, things become hairy and worlds are sure to collide. Seeing as I'm a Scorsese nut, The Departed marks my most anticipated film of the fall. This cops and robbers tale hits theaters on October 6 and currently has a trailer online for you to watch.

I'm not exactly sure at what age a person is officially grown-up. Some would say you're an adult at 18, Jews feel you're a man at 13. Me, I'm pushing 30, and my wife still calls me a little twit. The way I see it, I'll never be a grown-up because, as each year passes, there will still be more to accomplish, lessons to learn and experiences to encounter.

The following films all feature characters who are going through the process of growing up, be it mentally or physically. Some are youngsters looking to explore new feelings and emotions, while others are older, stuck between the secrets of their past and a troubling future. Welcome to this week's Trailer Park ...

• Some film students got shut out of a screening of A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, in spite of having hard tix. But don't feel too bad for them - while standing in the cold shivering, they met the director and actors, and ended up having lunch with them! And to prove it, they got a pic with Robert Downy Jr. (pic right)!
• A sighting of Nick Cave and Marlee Matlin -- no, not together, so don't get excited.
• Imogen Heap contributed music to Chronicles of Narnia. Check out video footage and photo gallery of their concert at Starbucks Cafe.
• Cinnamon director Kevin Everson blogs about Team Cinnamon shaking it up at Sundance.
• Crispin Glover should play the Joker in the next Batman movie? I still remember him going all Hong Kong  Phooey on David Letterman years ago.
• Dennis Hopper was at the Stay premiere, and looked...old? Man, that's harsh.
• Defamer talks about the premiere of Destricted, which may well win the prize for most walkouts at Sundance.

I was having dinner on Main Street and struck up a conversation with an acquistions manager for a major film studio. While we were waiting for our food, we chatted about which movies we'd seen and how we liked them (he raved about Little Miss Sunshine, which he'd just seen, and felt that A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints was uneven, and that the part with the kids was better than the part with the adults, which surprised him). I asked him what buzz he'd heard and what deals were being made. He told me "half the deals have already been done, and it's the first day of the festival", that his studio would be acquiring one or two, and that Little Miss Sunshine is being acquired "right now, actually" by Paramount for "some ridiculous sum of money".

The buzz on Little Miss Sunshine has been hot, so it's not surprising that it would be acquired early on. Stay tuned, as soon as we hear there's confirmation on the deal, we'll let you know.